1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an actuator, an actuator apparatus, and a method of driving the actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a growing need for machines that work close to humans such as domestic robots. Accordingly, expectations for artificial muscle actuators, which have characteristics of being light and being flexible such as in the case of muscle of humans, are growing. There are many different types of actuators called artificial muscle actuators. Many of these actuators use deformation of a rubber-like elastic material, which is likely to match the characteristics of being light and being flexible.
A McKibben-type actuator, which extends or contracts due to the pressure of a fluid, is known as one of the actuators that use the deformation of a rubber-like elastic material (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-197605).
The McKibben-type actuator disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-197605 is formed of a rubber tube reinforced by a braided structure, and is caused to extend and contract in a manner in which the inside of the rubber tube is pressurized by the fluid, and expansion of the actuator in the radial direction is converted into contraction of the actuator in the axial direction while angles of braids are varied like a pantograph.